There is a lot of talk about curriculum in the light of both the inspection framework (Sept 2019) and proposed changes to the EYFS (July 2020). Development Matters clearly states that “The development statements and their order are not necessary steps for every child and should not be used as checklists.” However, I have…
Category: Professional practice
Management and Leadership
What is your management style? Is all leadership the same? Are leadership and management roles about personality? How do you take people with you on a journey of improvement? Can leadership be taught? “there is no doubt that effective leadership and appropriate training for the leadership role is an increasingly important element as we move…
We all talk to the children in our settings but do we talk with them?
I have been thinking about conversations quite a lot recently. During the last year I have spend a high proportion of my time in Early Years settings, giving me the opportunity to reflect upon our interactions with young children and how they interact with each other. Reflecting upon the type and nature of the conversations,…
The value and insight gained by working with others
When you work for yourself it can sometimes be difficult to get a depth of thinking because we all approach new ideas from our own perspective. This does not diminish ones own experience but there is the potential that our thinking becomes narrow or worse still dogmatic. Of course, reading and research help but there…
Confident intentional teachers
I am currently working with colleagues from A+ Education, Institute of London and Oxford University on the pilot phase of the URLEY (Using Research tools to improve Language in the Early Years) research project. The focus of the research is to test the premise that supporting teachers to understand and use research tools can improve…
Evaluation or reflection – how are these different and what are the implications for Early Years practice?
This is a question which came up during a European research project (EYE on Practice – Observation and Reflection in Childcare and Education) which I led and reported upon in 2012. The Oxford dictionary defines evaluation as “the making of a judgement about the amount, number or value of something; assessment: the evaluation of each…